It's hard to explain how I feel about the movie like I do in my own language, because of the fact I can't find the right words in English.

'the Number 23' turns out to be 'OK', nothing more, nothing less. There's only one name too blame for the many flaws; Joel Schumacher. So typical for him. He wants..., but he can't. Also the script/scenario isn't what it could have been. The movie goes in too many directions and the focus on the main characters isn't close enough.

It's never scary, but it's amusing. And that's what I was expecting. (knowing it was Joel behind the damn thing) An amusing (not in the funny way) thriller that just keeps your attention and is ejoyable till the end. The movie is also lucky Jim Carrey and Virginia Madsen are able to keep it believable. They never lose the're credibility and they both do the best they can with the material given too them. Many actors would have faled. Jim Carrey doesn't. He's once again proving he's able to do many different things.

Only, my beloved Jim, next time, choose a better film. In the hands of David Fincher (or someone else), this could have been one for many end-of-the-year-lists.

Also, positive words for the cinematographer that dit (the amazing) The Fountain and (gripping) Requiem for a Dream.

My final verdict? Not great, but not that bad either. Just OK.

...

My friend who was with me (a critic btw) doesn't like Jim Carrey as facepulling Ace. But he didn't understand why anyone would think Carrey isn't able to pull this off. He thought Carrey was saving the movie from going totally down. He thinks Jim Carrey is one of the finest actors out there these days and is looking forward to more serious Jim Carrey.

Any true Carreyholic shouldn’t have been surprised by The Number 23’s opening numbers. Earning just $14.6 million in its first weekend of release, The Number 23 fell WAY short of Bruce Almighty’s almighty earnings--$67,953,330 in its first weekend alone. Audiences just can’t seem to accept the Ace Ventura funnyman in anything where he’s not talking out of his ass, though, which is a shame since 23 showcases what a talented actor Carrey truly is.

In The Number 23, Carrey reunites with Batman Forever director Joel Schumacher to tell the story of a man who becomes obsessed with a book that appears to be based on his life but ends with a murder that has yet to happen. After receiving an obscure book titled The Number 23 from his wife (Virginia Madsen) for his birthday, Walter Sparrow (Carrey) becomes increasing convinced that the book--written by a “Topsy Kretts”--is based on him. His obsession with the novel--and the number 23--eventually start to consume him, as he begins to realize the book forecasts far graver consequences for his life than he could have ever imagined.

Playing both Walter and the book’s central character, Fingerling, Carrey shines as both a troubled husband and father and a dark, mysterious detective who eventually goes from solving crimes to committing them. As Fingerling, audiences get to see yet another side of Jim Carrey--a side only briefly seen before in 1988’s The Dead Pool. Viewers won’t be able to turn away from watching Carrey portray the tattooed, paranoid and sadistic detective, and his performances is so strong that it’s almost hard to believe this is the same man who’s made a career off of comedies such as Dumb and Dumber. While Carrey may have played crazy before (The Cable Guy, anyone?), his performances usually always have a hint of dark humor to them. This time, though, there’s nothing funny about The Number 23’s villain--Fingerling is just one sick, twisted pup.

Carrey’s performance isn’t the only thing that makes The Number 23 shine, though. Schumacher’s use of light--especially in the scenes that bring pages from the book to life--is visually stunning. The contrast between Schumacher’s use of overexposure and Fingerling’s dark, black trench coat and slicked-back hair truly creates a world of its own, making it easy for viewers to identify when a scene is taking place in the real world versus the world created by The Number 23’s Topsy Kretts. Only near the end, as the line between Walter’s own life and Fingerling’s story becomes more blurred, do audiences truly question what’s real and what’s fiction.

The movie’s biggest surprise, however, has nothing to do with how convincingly Carrey can portray a killer, but with how detailed the script is for a film that runs just over 90 minutes. Not only does screenwriter Fernley Phillips fully develop two worlds during the movie’s short hour-and-a-half running time, Phillips also has enough time to go back and point out all of The Number 23’s carefully placed clues, so that viewers can leave the theater without asking “What about…?” While flashing back to retrace all of Topsy Kretts’ steps may seem a bit redundant, it’s nice to leave the theater after watching a movie with so many twists and turns without any questions and with all loose ends neatly tied up.

While Carrey may never break free of being pigeonholed as a comedian, those who do appreciate the funnyman as an actor and not just a comic should enjoy The Number 23. And while the movie should easily make back its budget (an estimated $30 million) in the U.S. alone, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that 23 will hardly reestablish Carrey as one of Hollywood’s $20+ million men. Hopefully, Carrey’s next film--the animated Horton Hears a Who--will get Carrey out of his box office slump and put him back where every Carreyholic knows he belongs--at No. 1.

but we are a patient lot and so is Jim, Horton will go throught the roof,
since it is a classic, take all the kids in much of the world and many adults and teens, will probably see it, there you have it #1.
Looking forward to seeing this don't know when though.

I don't know if Horton is going to score well because of the fact it's a classic, I think it's going to do well for other reasons. When I think of the Grinch or those other stories, nodbody knows Dr. Seuss and his books on this side of the world.

I think it's going to do very well if they make the trailer funny enough, because -sadly enough- those animated 3D comedies seem to work all over the world. It's what people want at this time. Stories that don't use the jokes as a punch don't do welll at the box-office. (the Ant-Bully, Arthur and the Mini-mois, ...)

My Review
***SPOILER***
I waited for this movie for such a long time. Like all of you I guess.
We've all seen these little bits of the movie, production photos, all this advertising.
And I'm saying that despite all of this I've seen the truth.
Unfortunately the truth was that this movie turned out to be something that I didn't predict.
I am one of many Jim Carrey fans. That's why I'm gonna be honest.
The movie is so messed up that you can't even see the Enigma of the Number 23, which probably wasn't the main idea of the movie, but it was advertised like that was the idea.
The script is just a big pile of the confused facts and unfinished thoughts that throughout the whole movie stay confused and unfinished.
Several plot lines were too much for this movie. The director or the script writers couldn't pull those off.
The movie reminded me of the movie "Identity" which was also very confusing in the end and felt very sucky.
The Fingerling story was filmed very well, it looked even brilliant, but combined with the story of Sparrow and young Sparrow, then with the obvious obsession with the №23, which was a little bit explained in the end, all of this became a movie based on a rather poor script.
Flashbacks - real and imaginery - didn't feel the way they should've been felt. Though the very end of the movie - the last 20 minutes were quite entertaining, because I finally saw some action that I was promised to see.
The director - and I blame him - couldn't see it coming. Or could he? He can't be the great director if he can't see the movie as a whole.
I feel sorry for Jim, who obviously had a lot of fun while filming this movie and playing with the number 23 and definitely thinking that Mr Schumacher was going to make it right.
Jim was amazing as Sparrow and as Fingerling, but he was barely seen in the movie.
Sparrow's hidden secrets and Fingerling's passions were supposed to be in Jim's eyes. But behind all these flashbacks, the obscure explanations and the director's camera which wasn't even focusing on Jim during the climaxes of the movie, he seemed to be left out of being a character who owned it all. He was manipulated by the poor directing, editing and script writing.
Sadly, Jim couldn't pull off the movie all by himself and neither could the supporting actresses, so The Number 23 became a confusing dissapointment that luckily won't last long, right until the next Jim's movie in which he's gonna be the king instead of the awful sreenplay.

omg number 23 looks like a good movies i hope Jim can pull it off cause if he dose he the best actor not only can he do comedy but he can do horror. Im going 2 go see it this weekend so i hope its worth the money but all Jim Carrey movies are worth my money lol. Omg i cant wait to see his new movie 4 more dayz lol

ON, so Friday, I was adamant on going but it turned out they changed the
movie, Thurs was Kareoke, had I known I would have gone Thurs to see
the movie instead.
Thus a snow storm, as many in the East know was up an running Friday
so we weathered the weather for London, sadly we missed the show near
White Oaks so we scurried(more like shailed) to another theatre, thankfully we just made it (story of my life)
The first thing I didn't expect was a Narrative, since Jim had done that B4,
I didn't expect this, not sure that's the way it should have gone.
It may have been because of the budget. I wonder how it would have gone if the son had narrated it, may have given it a different feel.
Or someone else, someone way in the background who may have been
a mystery themselves until the very end. I liked the message,

that in the end we do have to pay our debt to society for our own actions.

Some parts were funny, but I was the only one laughing, I thought that
was quite odd.
My hubby fell asleep several times, I had to wake him up when he started
snoring too loud.
I really liked the picture shots sinking into one another, that was excellent!
I kept wondering why his wife would go into an old building all by herself,
since Jim took his son to the cemetary, why wouldn't she take someone with her to the old building, matter of safety! Especially after seeing all that blood and gore!
The passion scenes were quite artistic and flashy quick,
well done
King Edward Hotel, why does that ring a bell for me?.
That was the creepiest hotel I've ever seen.
Wrap up was well done, music was not really memorable but I would
like to hear the alternate music if there is one.
I'm glad I went, my husband asked what happened, I said, "You fell
asleep so you'll have to see it again yourself" he just "Humphed"

I believe Horton will do better, more volume of people
and usually those types do better than the mystery thrillers.